Providers & Scheduling

Provider Scheduling Strategies

Getting the Most from Your Provider Setup

This guide covers practical strategies for configuring multiple providers, handling complex schedules, and using Chimera’s scheduling features effectively.

Multi-Provider Setup

Parallel Schedules

When multiple providers work the same hours, their schedules are independent. A patient booking with Provider A has no effect on Provider B’s availability. The booking engine evaluates each provider separately.

This means two providers with identical 9 AM - 5 PM schedules can each have a full day of bookings running in parallel.

Staggered Schedules

For clinics that need coverage across a wider window:

  • Provider A: Mon-Fri 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Provider B: Mon-Fri 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

The “First Available” path automatically finds the earliest slot across both providers, giving patients broader options while distributing the workload.

Part-Time Providers

Some providers work limited days. Configure their availability to reflect their actual schedule:

  • Provider C (part-time): Mon, Wed, Fri 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Days without time blocks are treated as days off. No configuration beyond omitting those days is needed.

Handling Complex Recurring Schedules

Alternating Weeks

For a provider who works alternating Fridays, use BIWEEKLY:FRI as a blocked time pattern. Combined with their weekly schedule that includes Friday, the result is every-other-Friday availability.

First-of-Month Meetings

A provider who has a staff meeting the first Monday of each month: add MONTHLY:1:MON as a blocked time. Every first Monday is blocked; all other Mondays follow their normal schedule.

Combining Patterns

Patterns stack. A single provider can have:

  • WEEKLY:WED (no Wednesdays)
  • BIWEEKLY:FRI (alternating Fridays off)
  • MONTHLY:1:MON (first Monday meeting)

All of these are evaluated together when calculating available slots.

Specialization with Type Assignments

Hygienist vs Dentist

Restrict appointment types so only the right providers appear:

  1. Create “Cleaning” and “Exam” types
  2. Go to the hygienist provider and assign only “Cleaning”
  3. Go to the dentist provider and assign only “Exam”
  4. When a patient selects “Cleaning,” only the hygienist appears as an option

Shared Types

Leave a provider’s type assignment empty (the default) to let them offer all types. This works well for general-purpose types like “Follow-up Visit” that any provider can handle.

Mixed Approach

Combine restricted and unrestricted:

  • Hygienist: assigned to Cleaning, Whitening
  • Dentist A: assigned to Exam, Emergency, Cosmetic
  • Dentist B: no assignment (offers everything)

Dentist B appears as an option for all types, while the other providers are scoped.

Lunch Breaks and Split Shifts

To create a lunch break, add two time blocks per day instead of one continuous block:

  • Morning block: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Afternoon block: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

The hour gap from 12:00 to 1:00 PM has no availability. No need to create a blocked time for it.

For providers with irregular breaks:

  • Monday: 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM - 5:00 PM (1hr lunch)
  • Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 12:30 PM - 5:00 PM (30min lunch)
  • Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (no break, works through)

Each day can have its own block configuration.

Minimum Advance Hours by Role

Use different advance hours for different provider roles:

  • Hygienist (routine care): 24 hours. Standard advance notice.
  • Specialist (complex procedures): 48-72 hours. Extra time to prepare.
  • Urgent care provider: 2-4 hours. Allows near-same-day booking.

This is set per provider, so each one can have a different threshold.

Provider Count and Billing

On the Pro plan, the first 2 providers are included. Each additional active provider adds $29/month:

  • 3 providers: $149 + $29 = $178/month
  • 5 providers: $149 + ($29 x 3) = $236/month

Deactivating a provider removes the charge. The subscription adjusts automatically.

On the Solo plan, you are limited to 1 active provider. Upgrade to Pro if you need more.

Tip: Deactivate providers instead of deleting them if they are temporarily unavailable (vacation, leave). Their schedule, type assignments, and blocked times are preserved and ready when they return.

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